E. Maxwell, N. Belshaw, K. Waldron
Apr 1, 2012
Citations
11
Influential Citations
328
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Trends in Food Science and Technology
Abstract
Pectin is a constituent of the cell walls of fruits and vegetables, and provides an important source of dietary fibre, as well as being a functional ingredient in processed foods. In addition to the health benefits associated with dietary fibre, new health claims are emerging, particularly with regard to the bioactive roles for modified pectin as an anti-cancer agent. These suggest that the modification creates molecular fragments, some of which may bind to and inhibit the various actions of the pro-metastatic protein galectin-3. The evidence for such a mechanism and the nature of the bioactive fragments will be discussed.